Joint arthroplasty, such as the replacement of one or more articular surfaces of a knee joint with an artificial implant, is a complex procedure. Such procedures often require modifications of the patient's anatomy to prepare it to receive the implant. In some instances, such modifications involve resecting, milling or otherwise removing existing bone, cartilage and/or other tissue from the patient's anatomy. The positions and orientations of these modifications can determine position and orientation of the artificial implant relative to the patient's anatomy once installed in at least some degrees of freedom. Obtaining a proper position and orientation of the implant can be an important factor in the success of the joint arthroplasty procedure, and, as such, it will be important, in at least some instances, to properly position and/or orient the resections and/or other modifications to the anatomy.
Conventionally, standardized cutting blocks and other generic instrumentation sets have been used to guide modifications to the anatomy in a joint arthroplasty. In some instances, the cutting blocks and other instrumentation has been specifically designed for use with a particular patient. Existing instrumentation, methods and systems have drawbacks, however, and the present invention provides embodiments that improve on at least some of those drawbacks.